Dumbest C*nt in Class

By Riley Lauren Lynch

The work I create is, at large, about intimate happenings of the human experience; I aim to continually explore themes of control, trauma, healing and belonging through a variety of mediums. Visually, I focus on pattern and linework and allow myself to be swept away in them; I am left with a map that guides me in my creation and tells the story of my mentality throughout the work. Color schemes also play an integral role in my work, acting as a deceiving, brightly-colored mask that protects my underlying themes and fears of stagnation, loss of control and abandonment. My work is heavily charged with emotions; As a multimedia artist, I continually leave myself within my artwork, turning my practice into both therapy and an archive which documents who I was at the time of creation. Creating, then, has become into a private performance for myself, where I am able to break free of the white-walled gallery and explore unadulterated, unlimited expression. While pieces may differ radically, I can sharply recall who I was when I made them, what I was feeling, and how it shaped my practice. I am attempting to shift my need for control into an embrace of spontaneity, where I allow my heart, rather than my head, to direct me further to embrace and heal myself without hesitation.